The Best Water Bottle Review

Types of water bottles
While the Nalgene was once the one-size-fits all staple of outdoor recreationists, the water bottle market has grown enormously in recent years. Consumers can now choose from all manner of materials and designs. To help you navigate the increasingly varied world of water-bottles, we’ve outlined the primary features and advantages of each major category:

Plastic Bottles
Even with the post-BPA rise in metal water bottles, plastic is still the most commonly seen water bottle material. Plastic is cheap, versatile, and a better insulator than metal. Plastic bottles also tend to be much lighter. Included this category are the collapsible bottles like the Platy Plus and Vapur. Plastic bottles are best suited for extended trips, or anytime weight becomes a consideration. While plastic bottles came under scrutiny a few years ago because of concerns about BPA, nearly any bottle available today and every one that we tested is BPA-free.

Co-polyester, branded as Tritan, has emerged as the primary replacement for the old BPA recipe. Tritan tends to be more brittle than the old material, but still worth purchasing.

Metal Bottles
Metal Bottles, like the Klean Kanteen and MSR Alpine, tend to be more durable than their plastic counterparts. They will dent easily, but beyond aesthetic damage, these bottles are nearly indestructible. Metal bottles are typically heavier, and the classic Klean Kanteen narrow-mouth size is not usually compatible with filters or other accessories designed for Nalgenes. Most manufacturers have addressed this problem by creating wide-mouth versions of their bottles.

Metal water bottles, because of their weight, are great for daily use but are hard to justify on longer trips. We may occasionally bring one along as an emergency (or even primary) cooking vessel, but this is the exception rather than the rule. Overall, metal bottles are much better suited for day-to-day drinking than longer outings.


Collapsible Bottles
Some bottles, like the Platy Plus and Vapur, are collapsible. The entire bottle can be rolled up and stowed to a size no bigger than a pair of thin socks. The bottles are extremely light and, as in the case of the Platy Plus, can hold a much greater volume than their rigid counterparts.


Because of their meager weight and ease of storage, collapsible bottles are our favorite for backpacking and climbing.

That being said, they are far less durable than rigid bottles. The thin material does not stand up well to use. Frequent flexing on specific points can quickly create leaks.

Sipper Lids
Water bottles have two frequent styles of lids: conventional lids, which screw on and off, and “sipper lids”, which have straws or “sport” cap styles, which allow the user to drink without removing the cap. Conventional lids are easy to use, easy to lose, and simple to repair or replace. For all applications which are not clearly made simpler by a “sipper”, we prefer conventional caps. Sipper lids are useful for children, one-handed drinking, and preventing spills but due to their additional components, they create a possible point of leakage.

A word on BPA
Every bottle we tested was BPA Free. Bottles containing BPA have become a thing of the past after the scare in 2008. Many bottles we tested plastic however, and there is mounting councern about some of the other dangers that petroleum products may present to drinking water. (http://www.babycenter.ca/a1017837/phthalates-what-you-need-to-know). In the case of phthalates, there has not been sufficient concern, scientific research, and public support to convince outdoor manufacturers to lable and address the problem of phthalates. I suspect, however, that even in phthalates were eliminated someone eventually would discover another concerning feature of plastic. If drinking out of plastic bothers you at all, find a metal water bottle. There are plenty of options to choose from.

Insulation
There may be no greater pleasure than crawling into a sleeping bag preheated by a warm Nalgene. Warming one’s sleeping bag with a water bottle is an excellent way to test the insulative capacity of a water bottle. How long will it stay warm for? Will it burn you at its hottest? Nalgenes are the benchmark for this test. They never get dangerously hot, and they can keep liquids lukewarm through the entire night.

Klean Kanteens, as with all metal bottles, have less effective insulation. The conductivity of the metal, which is very handy if you ever find yourself without a cooking vessel, is less useful when dealing with hot liquids. Wrapping the bottle in a thick sock makes it possible to handle it without injury. Vaccuum-insulated bottles are also an option for those who have hot drinks regularly, but they are usually too heavy to be considered practical for most outdoor pursuits.

Product Metrics

Durability
Durability is a huge determining factor in value. How long will your bottle last? Collapsible bottles tend to be less durable than their rigid counterparts, due to frequent stress on flex points. The bodies of rigid bottles are usually very durable, but often have failure points on the lids. The most durable bottles we tested were the Klean Kanteen and the Camelbak Groove. The metal body of the Klean Kanteen was fully indestructible. Bottles that we bought right when they came onto the market are still getting good use. As for the Camelbak Groove, its thick walls made it incredibly sturdy. It withstood a literal beating, as we used it to drive an awl through bison leather when our mallet broke.

Ease of use
When testing bottles for ease of use, we focused on moving parts and superfluous components. The fewer, the better. In this category, we preferred bottles like the Nalgene, Klean Kanteen, and Platy Plus for their no-frills, screw-on screw-off lids. When using them in the dark, on climbing routes, or with one hand, the simplicity made a noticable difference. The Nalgene just barely edged out the other leaders in this category with its retaining strap, which kept us from worrying about losing the lid.

Utility
How practical is the bottle? How versatile? Is it just as useful in the backcountry as in a board meeting?

For this category, the Platy Plus bottle was our winner. It rolls up and stows away discreetly, handles the largest volume of any of the products tested, and can be converted into a hydration pack, if you purchase a separate drinking tube. Unfortunately, the Platy Plus is not directly compatible with filters. (You can make it work, but it’s a pain). The wide-mouth bottles, such as the Camelbak Eddy and Groove, the Nalgene, the MSR Alpine, and wide-mouth versions of the Klean Kanteen are compatible. As rigid bottles, they also lend themselves to non manufacturer-recommended uses. Plastic water bottles make great night-time heaters, and any rigid bottle can be used as a hammer or rolling pin. Metal bottles, particularly the Klean Kanteen, make great emergency vessels. But for sheer practicality, we prefer the Platy Plus.


Leak-Proofness
Nearly all of the bottles we tested were reliably leak-proof. In general, bottles with simple screw-on, screw-off caps did the best in this category. “Sippy-tops”, nipples, or alternatives were sometimes hard to close, and sometimes leaked outright.


Awards
Editor's Choice
Or favorite bottle, plastic or otherwise, was the Nalgene. This high-performing bottle proved, through intense testing, that it is just as good as it ever was. This bottle is an iconic staple of the outdoor world, and as such most (nearly all) most water-bottle accessories developed to fit the Nalgene, from water filters to the bottle sleeves on backpacks.

But it's the standard for good reason. The Nalgene is durable, light and simple. It's the perfect bottle, nothing but a non-leaking cap and body. No sippers, moving parts or breakable bits. And it makes a killer sleeping-bag warmer.

Best Buy
We nearly awarded the Editor's Choice to the Platypus PlusBottle. It is an outlier in an increasingly diverse field of collapsible bottles. While many of these bottles were "developing", the PlusBottle is mature. Like the Nalgene, it has the simplest possible design, just the cap and body. Unlike the Nalgene, this 2 liter bottle can roll up to the size of a tube of toothpaste. It can be converted to a hydration bladder, which we found really set it apart. It's incredibly light, and it costs less than $15.

Because the body is thin plastic, this bottle will expire long before any Nalgene. Within a year and a half, if you mistreat it. But the PlusBottle will perform beyond expectations within that time, and hey, it's only $13.


Top Pick: Best Metal Bottle
The Klean Kanteen was our second highest scoring bottle and the best metal water bottle we have tested. While all plastic bottles are now BPA free, there is growing concern about any type of plastic bottle, especially those that are used for hot or warm liquids. If you are concerned about using a plastic water bottle, then the Kleen Kanteen is the way to go.


Top Pick: Most Convenient Bottle
The Camelbak Eddy was the best bottle with a straw or sipper that we tested. It is incredibly durable and easy to use with one hand if you are driving or hiking. It is also the best water bottle for kids and infants as it is almost spill proof, nearly unbreakable, and is unlikely to damage most surfaces if dropped.

Application-Based Recommendations
Climbing: PlatyPlus
Day-hiking: Nalgene
Backpacking: Platy Plus/Nalgene
Winter: Klean Canteen
Lifestyle: Vapur, Liberty, Klean Kanteen